How would you define a personal conviction?

I am looking for a better understanding to the term "personal conviction". I have some vague ideas of what it means but do not even know how to put those ideas to words. Maybe some of you here on SI can help? Any and all help is appreciated.

So... How would you define a personal conviction?
And if led to share some that you have.

edit... I just noticed that I put this thred in the wrong section. sorry

Hi hredii,
I don't how to define it either, but surely you will know it when is upon your own head.
I went through a period of deep conviction. All I can say that it is not easy thing. It is not easy to bear the God's hand upon you. It is like mountains have fallen upon you. You can hardly eat, speak. All that matter to you is getting to get right with God. You think all the time of that. You have no peace. In that time of period I realised that revival is hard thing. You have two choises, one is to continue to resist, the other is God to break you. It is not easy. But God is good God, He knows how to break us. You can see Him with the hammer, but that's not to destroy you, but to mould you. You will need an open and soft heart, otherwise will be much harder. You will identify yourself as never before with David in Psalm 38,42 and 51. You will understand more clearly what all these books, quotes , sermons, examples that you have read from and about men of God means, about conviction, repentance, revival, God's overflowing love. You will study Peter. In the process of, but especially after the conviction you will see more clearly the love of the Father and you will cry.
Personally me in that time of conviction, God broke me with His goodness. I thought I should suffer more, but He blessed me with the greatest blessing in my life. That's something that will melt your heart and it will humble you, cause to sing praise and worship to His name.

there is always a need for breaking, or to turn it around: there is always some kind of resisting on man’s part that needs to be dealt with.

Yes, brother, I agree with you.
The process continues until the day when we will leave this earth.

Hi hredii,

There are some great points here already. I'm trying to understand exactly what you mean so I will try to look at the topic by using the terms in a sentence, "Thus and such they did or did not do as a matter of [i]personal conviction[/i]" or " I have several [i]personal conviction[u]s[/u][/i] that the Holy Spirit has pressed upon me personally that I do not attempt to hold others to, they are for me specifically."

The difficulty is trying to answer the question from a biblical standpoint. The word 'conviction' carries a couple of different meanings as it is translated from a few different Greek words. I think [i]Plerophoria[/i] is the closest to what you are talking about and it means "assurance" or "full assurance."

And he that [u]doubteth[/u] is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. (Romans 14:23)

There were in the New Testament era those who were still wrestling with whether or not things that were condemned under the old Covenant were now permissable under the New Covenant; in this case various foods. The Jews had dietary laws, etc. that were fulfilled in Christ. Some had not fully reckoned with that and could not yet eat certain things with a [i]clear conscience[/i]. For them to eat something believing it was sin would be sin. Faith is [i]right[/i] response to revelation. Sin is [i]wrong[/i] response to revelation. If the person believes something to be the revealed will of God (in this case not to eat certain things) then they are condemned if they eat. This is why clear bible teaching is important.

Some things are called 'personal convictions' because they are beliefs held by a person for some reason or another. In our parts in the early 1900 it was said to be a sin to drink coffee. This was preached from pulpits. Was it a sin? If a person works hard enough on it they could make a case for it being a sin and thats what they did. But we could do that with a lot of things in life. As late as 1979 the boys were made to swim in pants and a shirt at the pool (and it was NOT co-ed) lest someone look upon their nakedness. It may seem funny, but I was swimming in a pool at a youth camp fully dressed as if that pleased the Lord. I could just have easily made a case for it tempting God to nearly drown some boys. Such as it is.

Some issues are truly 'personal convictions'. they are things you abstain from that you do because you are vulnerable to [i]temptation[/i] in a certain area, that others may not be vulnerable in. This is more of a "make not provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts" type 'personal conviction.'

God Bless,

-Robert

One thing I have always wanted to know is what is the difference between guilt and condimnation?
I have always wanted to know

Jesus please convit me more

So... How would you define a personal conviction?

A personal conviction would be something the Lord told you either to do or not to do. I'll give you one that the Holy Spirit has spoken to me. He said Ed turn off the television and I did it a couple of years ago. That's a personal conviction.

Now, if I take that personal conviction and tell others you can't watch TV if you're a Christian that's legalism.

Now if it's something that's clearly in the Word that is forbidden, let's say gossip for instance, the Word of God speaks for itself. In other words, I don't need the Holy Spirit to tell me not to gossip. It's clearly articulated in the Bible that it's a sin to gossip.

I have been convicted recently and I find the more you disobey the anointing decreasees that is why I want to obey god in every way !!
I wanted to go to a friends but ended up going someone else.

Dom